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Cat refuses all food, lost a lot of weight

My cat Vas'ka (17 years old, neutered male), refuses to take any food offered to him by now, but is terribly hungry and keep asking for food. We tried regular dry food, canned food, baby food, tuna for humans, all kind of treat, high caloric jell in tube, raw chicken cut into tiny pieces, tried to feed him by hand -- everything is left untouched... it got worst last couple days. My heart is aching for him... He lost almost all front teeth... Within last year he lost 6 pounds (from 14 to 8).

Two days ago I took him to a vet, here is the "nothing burger" result of blood test & a message from the vet

"Overall, no major issues were identified. He may have some very, very early kidney changes happening and shows evidence on the CBC test for stress, but overall, the biochemical tests were normal. In a cat that is otherwise healthy, this would be great news. In a cat, like Vasia, who has lost a great deal of weight, it just means that whatever is causing the weight loss is not going to be easy to identify. I would suspect dental disease may play a role, but even then, I think we are missing something aggressive, like cancer. We should do some additional testing to try to find the answer. X-rays (about $***) or ultrasound (About $***) may be recommended as the next step."

I'd agree for any test -- they are pricey , but Vas'ka is part of family; my question to myself is : OK, suppose after all these tests they would most likely discover something (say cancer) that requires a dramatic treatment (surgery); is it worthwhile to put the cat under all that pain and torture to just make the rest of his life left to him the worst period of his life? I even don't know what is a regular cat's lifespan; even if the surgery is successful, how much does he have left? Please advise and share your experience...

And aside from that, can you suggest ANY food that a cat like him would still eat? I don't want him to die of hunger either...

I'd most greatly appreciate any advice or consideration. Thanks.
Alwood